© 2025 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace
Buffalo, NY 14202

Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
BTPM NPR Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
STAND WITH PUBLIC MEDIA | PROTECTMYPUBLICMEDIA.ORG

Sweet Home High School dismissed following threat lockdown

Police officers seen entering
Emyle Watkins
/
BTPM NPR
Police officers seen in and around Sweet Home High School on Monday, May 12, 2025. Students were safely dismissed, while law enforcement remained on site conducting sweeps with K9 units.

Earlier today a lockdown was put into place at Sweet Home High School after a gun and bomb threat was called into police and the district office. School leaders say there turned out to be "no actual threats."

Around 1:10 p.m. Amherst Police released a statement saying it was investigating, and the incident that was reported had not yet been verified.

Later the police department confirmed the situation had been resolved, but that their investigation remains ongoing.

Meanwhile, Sweet Home Central School District Superintendent Michael Ginestre sent an update to parents confirming a phone threat came in to both the district office and Amherst Police Department shortly after noon. The threat said a person had a gun in a high school bathroom, and that were three bombs placed on the premises.

Sweet Home High School went into immediate lockdown according to Ginestre, and Amherst police responded within minutes. He said a search of bathrooms and classrooms of the school by police concluded there were "no actual threats" present. The school then downgraded to a "shelter-in-place" while police K-9's continued searches.

Around 2:05 p.m. parents could be seen pulling up to the school and waving down their kids while other students calmly boarded the bus. Sweet Home typically dismisses around this time according to its website.

Ginestre said students were told to leave their back packs and locker belongings behind, as Amherst police wanted to continue their sweep of the building.

As staff and students left, police and K-9 units from Amherst, NFTA, Orchard Park, State Police and the Erie County Sheriff's remained outside.

No injuries to students or staff were reported. Sweet Home has over 1,000 students and nearly 200 staff members.

This story may be updated as the situation develops.

Emyle Watkins is an investigative journalist covering disability for BTPM.